Barber Pole

One of the symbols of Americana is the barber pole, the striped cylinder that signifies a barber shop.

The origin of the barber pole goes beyond a basic hair cut.

It's actually about blood-letting, or, as we refer to in modern times, a phlebotomy.

During medieval times, barbers also performed preventive surgery on customers. The original pole had a brass basin at the top (representing the vessel in which leeches were kept) and bottom (representing the basin which received the blood). The pole itself represents the staff that the patient gripped during the procedure to encourage blood flow.

So, in other words, one went to the barber shop for both grooming and the hope of preventing illness and disease.

The red and white stripes symbolize the bandages used during the procedure: red for the blood-stained and white for the clean bandages. Originally, these bandages were hung out on the pole to dry after washing. As the bandages blew in the wind, they would twist together to form the spiral pattern similar to the stripes in the modern day barber pole.

The barber pole became emblematic of the barber/surgeon's profession. Later the cloths were replaced by a painted wooden pole of red and white stripes.

Comments

[Christine]

Interesting, Dan. My late grandfather was a barber at the same shop in Harvard Square for 40-plus years. It's the oldest barber shop in Massachusetts. And yes, it has a barber pole out front.

[Liz]

Very interesting!